Grab bar mount system

ABSTRACT

A grab bar mounting system includes a bar mount, a grab bar coupled to the bar mount, and a mount anchor including a mount plate coupled to a wall. The mount anchor is configured to inhibit movement of the bar mount relative to the wall.

This application claims priority under U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/827,996, filed Oct. 3, 2006, whichis expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to mount systems, and particularly, tomount systems for coupling bars to a wall surface. More particularly,the present disclosure is related to mount systems for coupling a grabbar to a wall surface.

SUMMARY

According to the present disclosure, a grab bar mount system includes agrab bar, a bar mount, a grab bar anchor, and a mount anchor. The mountanchor is configured to retain the bar mount on a wall.

In illustrative embodiments, the mount anchor is enclosed in a hollowportion of the bar mount. The mount anchor is coupled to the wall and isconfigured to inhibit axial movement of the bar mount with respect tothe wall. The mount anchor includes a mount plate, plate fasteners, andan anchor pin.

Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent tothose skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detaileddescription of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode ofcarrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the following figures inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the grab bar mount system in accordancewith the present disclosure showing a grab bar coupled to first andsecond bar mounts retained on a wall and suggesting that a first baranchor is provided to anchor the grab bar to the first bar mount andthat a first mount anchor is enclosed in a hollow portion of the firstbar mount and provided to anchor the first bar mount to a studsupporting the wall;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of components included in aright-hand side of the grab bar mount system of FIG. 1 showing a sleeveincluded in the first bar mount and configured to receive therein aright end of the grab bar, a right end cap adapted to be coupled to theright end of the grab bar, a base included in the first bar mount andappended to the sleeve, a first bar anchor comprising a second set screwlocated under the sleeve, and a first mount anchor comprising a mountplate, fasteners for coupling the mount plate to a stud in the wall, ananchor pin coupled to the mount plate and the base of the first barmount, and a first set screw located under the base;

FIG. 3 is perspective view of an underside portion of the first barmount showing an anchor pin receiver formed in the base of the first barmount to receive the anchor pin included in the first mount anchor, afirst threaded aperture formed in the base and adapted to receive thefirst set screw, and a second threaded aperture formed in the sleeve andadapted to receive the second set screw; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing thesecond set screw located in the second threaded aperture formed in thesleeve to secure the grab bar in a fixed position relative to the sleeveand the first set screw located in the first threaded aperture formed inthe base and extending into a notch formed on the anchor pin of thefirst anchor mount to secure the base to the first anchor mount.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A grab bar mount system 10 is configured for mounting a grab bar 12 to afirst bar mount 16 and a second bar mount 18 retained on a wall 14 asshown in FIG. 1. A first bar anchor 20 is provided to anchor grab bar 12to first bar mount 16 and a first mount anchor 24 is enclosed in ahollow 64 formed in first bar mount 16 and provided to anchor first barmount 16 to a stud 50 supporting wall 14, as suggested in FIG. 1 andshown in FIG. 4.

As suggested in FIGS. 2 and 3, first bar mount 16 includes a base pinreceiver 62 formed in a base 38 of first bar mount 16 to receive ananchor pin 52 included in first mount anchor 24. First mount anchor 24includes mount plate 46, fasteners 48, anchor pin 52, and a first setscrew 56. First mount anchor 24 and a second mount anchor 26 are similarto one another in structure and function so that the description offirst mount anchor 24 applies to second mount anchor 26 as well. Firstmount anchor 24 provides a rigid mounting structure to support first barmount 16 and also inhibits axial movement of first bar mount 16 relativeto wall 14 along axis 74.

Mount plate 46 includes an annular portion 72 formed to includeapertures 78. Fasteners 48 extend through apertures 78 to couple mountplate 46 to stud 50. Anchor pin 52 is coupled to annular portion 72 toextend away from stud 50 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. In an illustrativeembodiment, anchor pin 52 and annular portion 72 are monolithic. Inother embodiments, anchor pin 52 may be coupled to annular portion 72with adhesives or by welding, or any other suitable attaching means.

Apertures 78 are positioned to lie around a circumference of mount plate46 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In illustrative embodiments, six apertures78 are provided. One pair of apertures 78 cooperate to define a verticalaxis such that at least two fasteners 48 can be secured in stud 50 alongthe vertical axis.

Anchor pin 52 includes a shaft 55, support flanges 53 coupled to shaft55 and annular portion 72, and a distal end 54 as shown in FIGS. 2-4. Inillustrative embodiments, as shown best in FIG. 4, anchor pin 52 isfurther formed to include an notch 76 formed around a circumference ofshaft 55. When anchor pin 52 is received by base pin receiver 62, notch76 aligns with a first threaded aperture 66 formed in first bar mount 16to allow at least a portion of first set screw 56 to engage notch 76 toinhibit axial movement of first bar mount 16 along horizontal axis 74extending through and along the length of anchor pin 52 as shown in FIG.3. In some embodiments, anchor pin 52 may be formed without notch 76such that first set screw 56 engages shaft 55 to inhibit axial movementof first bar mount 16 along horizontal axis 74. In some otherembodiments, anchor pin 52 may be integral with mount plate 46.

First bar mount 16 and second bar mount 18 arc similar to one another instructure and function so that the description of first bar mount 16applies to second bar mount 18 as well. First bar mount 16 includes asleeve 36 and base 38 appended to sleeve 36 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and4. Sleeve 36 is annular in shape and slightly larger in diameter thangrab bar 12. Sleeve 36 is formed to include an aperture 37 configured toreceive therein at least a portion of grab bar 12 to hold grab bar 12 ina fixed position. Sleeve 36 is slidable along the length of grab bar 12so that first bar mount 16 can be positioned by the user to accommodatealignment of first bar mount 16 with stud 50.

Sleeve 36 is further formed to include a second threaded aperture 42configured to receive a second set screw 44 therein to engage grab bar12 to inhibit lateral and axial movement of grab bar 12 relative tosleeve 36 as shown best in FIG. 4. Second set screw 44 and secondthreaded aperture 42 cooperate to define first bar anchor 20. First baranchor 20 and second bar anchor 22 are similar to one another instructure and function so that the description of first bar anchor 20applies to second bar anchor 22 as well.

Base 38 includes a generally frustoconical wall 58 having an annular lip60 and base pin receiver 62 as shown in FIGS. 2-4. Frustoconical wall 58extends between sleeve 36 and annular lip 60. Frustoconical wall 58 andannular lip 60 cooperate to define hollow 64 formed in base 38. Hollow64 is configured to enclose first mount anchor 24 when first bar mount16 is coupled to first mount anchor 24. Thus, first bar mount 16 alsoprovides an aesthetic cover to enclose at least a portion of first mountanchor 24.

Base pin receiver 62 is generally annular in shape and extends fromsleeve 36 into hollow 64 as shown in FIG. 3. Brackets 65 extend betweenbase pin receiver 62 and an interior surface of frustoconical wall 58 tosupport base pin receiver 62. As suggested in FIG. 6, first threadedaperture 66 extends through frustoconical wall 58 into base pin receiver62 to receive first set screw 56.

Grab bar 12 includes a tube 28 and a pair of end caps 32 as shown inFIG. 1. Tube 28 is generally hollow and may be constructed of aluminum,steel, plastic, or any other suitable material. In an illustrativeembodiment, as suggested in FIG. 4, a rib 30 is formed in an innerportion of grab bar 12 and is positioned to lie longitudinally along thelength of grab bar 12 to provide rigidity. End caps 32 are coupled to anend 34 of tube 28 for closing each end 34 of tube 28.

1. A grab bar mounting system comprising a bar mount including an anchorpin receiver, a grab bar coupled to the bar mount, and anchor means formounting the bar mount on a wall and including an anchor pin cooperatingwith the anchor pin receiver to limit movement of the bar mount relativeto the wall when the anchor means is mounted to the wall.
 2. The systemof claim 1, wherein the anchor means includes a mount plate to bemounted to the wall and the anchor pin extends from the mount plate intothe anchor pin receiver.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the bar mountincludes a base and a sleeve coupled to the base, the sleeve receives aportion of the grab bar, and the base receives and covers the anchormeans.
 4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a first set screwextending through a first threaded aperture in the sleeve and engaging aportion of the anchor means and a second set screw extending through asecond threaded aperture in the sleeve and engaging a portion of thegrab bar.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the mount plate includesapertures positioned to lie around a circumference of the mount plate toreceive fasteners to mount the mount plate to a wall stud.
 6. The systemof claim 5, wherein two of the apertures cooperate to form a verticalaxis and are arranged such that two fasteners can be secured in the wallstud through the apertures.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the anchorpin includes a notch formed on a distal end of the anchor pin.
 8. A grabbar mounting system comprising a bar mount formed to include an anchorpin receiver, a grab bar coupled to the bar mount, a mount anchorincluding a mount plate coupled to a wall stud and an anchor pin havinga shaft formed to include a notch, the shaft extending from the mountplate into the anchor pin receiver, and a first set screw extendingthrough the bar mount into the notch formed in the anchor pin shaft. 9.The system of claim 8, wherein the bar mount includes a base and asleeve coupled to the base, the sleeve receives a portion of the grabbar, and the base receives and covers the mount anchor.
 10. The systemof claim 9, further comprising a second set screw and wherein the secondset screw extends through a second threaded aperture in the sleeve andengages a portion of the grab bar.
 11. The system of claim 8, whereinthe notch is formed on a distal end of the anchor pin.
 12. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the mount plate includes apertures positioned to liearound a circumference of the mount plate to receive fasteners to mountthe mount plate to a wall stud.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein twoof the apertures cooperate to form a vertical axis and are arranged suchthat two fasteners can be secured in the wall stud through theapertures.
 14. The system of claim 8, wherein the mount plate and theanchor pin are monolithic.
 15. A grab bar mounting system comprising abar mount including a sleeve and a base coupled to the sleeve, the baseincludes an anchor pin receiver, a grab bar extending into the sleeve, amount anchor including a mount plate coupled to a wall stud and ananchor pin having a shaft formed to include a notch, the shaft extendingfrom the mount plate into the anchor pin receiver, and a first set screwextending through the base to engage the anchor pin notch, and a secondset screw extending through the sleeve to engage the grab bar.
 16. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the notch is formed on a distal end of theanchor pin.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the second set screwextends through a second threaded aperture in the sleeve and engages aportion of the grab bar.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mountplate includes apertures positioned to lie around a circumference of themount plate to receive fasteners to mount the mount plate to the wall.19. The system of claim 18, wherein two of the apertures cooperate toform a vertical axis and are arranged such that two fasteners can besecured in the wall stud through the apertures.
 20. The system of claim14, wherein the mount plate and anchor pin are monolithic.